How to get a Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license in Missouri

Who needs a Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license

Performance for compensation of acts requiring substantial specialized education, judgment and skill based on the biological, physical, social, behavioral and nursing sciences (RSMo 335.016(16) lists the included acts).⁶

Other rules on who may do this work:

• Graduates may practice as graduate nurses, under proper supervision, until they receive their first exam results or 90 days after graduation, whichever comes first.⁷

Requirements for a Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license

High school diploma or GED

Required¹

Education or training

Successful completion of the basic professional curriculum in an accredited or approved school of nursing, with a professional nursing degree or diploma; official final transcript sent by the school.²
Who may teach it: Accredited or approved school of professional nursing (Missouri minimum standards in 20 CSR 2200).¹
Alternative: Foreign-educated applicants apply by intercountry examination with a credentials-evaluation report and English-proficiency exam passed within the last two years.²

Exam

NCLEX-RN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing licensure examination)²
Given by: Pearson VUE⁴
Passing score: Pass designation on the NCLEX-RN (reported pass/fail only).²
When you can take it: All licensure requirements, including the official final transcript sent by the school, must be met before the candidate may test.²
Retakes: File a repeat examination application (valid one year) with the $40 reexamination fee; new fingerprints are required if the earlier background check is more than one year old. Graduate-nurse practice is unlawful after a failed NCLEX.²
Exam waived: Foreign-educated applicants: course-by-course evaluation from a board-approved credentials service, TrueProfile education/identity/license verification (not for US territories or Canada), English-proficiency results and a copy of the US Social Security card.⁴

Background check

Background check required²
Fingerprints required²
Applicants who answer yes to screening questions, or whose fingerprint results show charges or convictions, submit court documents and evidence of rehabilitation; the board may review the file at its next meeting, with appeal to the Administrative Hearing Commission.²

Residency or citizenship

Proof of US citizenship, qualified alien status (8 U.S.C. 1621) or lawful presence (RSMo 208.009) is required; for non-citizens the license expires when lawful presence expires.²

Social Security number

US Social Security number required (RSMo 324.024); applicants without one yet are advised to wait for it before fingerprinting.⁸

Also required

Good moral character; applicants from non-English-speaking lands must show English proficiency.¹

Also required

Applications expire one year after submission; after that a new application, documents and fee are required.⁴

How much a Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license costs

Some lines are combined figures, or parts of one; do not add the lines up.

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee; check it with the exam provider, Pearson VUE⁴, when you schedule.

How to apply

1. Create or log in to a MOPRO account and choose APPLY FOR A LICENSE; have lawful-presence documents (US passport, birth certificate or REAL ID), nursing program details and other licenses ready, and declare your primary state of residence.⁹ mopro.mo.gov⁹
2. Answer the screening questions, upload any court documents, and pay the application fee by card or e-check (non-refundable).⁴
3. After submitting the application, register with MACHS (machs.mo.gov) using registration number 0001 and get fingerprinted; your name, date of birth and SSN must match the application.⁸
4. Ask your school to send the official final transcript showing the degree and graduation date directly (electronic services accepted); new graduates wait until they have graduated.⁴
5. Register for the NCLEX-RN with Pearson VUE and pay its fee; you can test once all requirements, including the transcript, are met.⁴
6. Pass the NCLEX-RN. Verify the issued license on Nursys; Missouri does not issue a license card.¹⁰

Apply online

mopro.mo.gov⁹

Temporary or provisional license

No temporary permit for new graduates (the graduate temporary permit rule was rescinded in 2010); graduate-nurse practice is allowed until first results or 90 days after graduation. Endorsement applicants may get a free temporary permit.⁷

Renewal and continuing education

How often

Every 2 years²

When it expires

RN licenses expire April 30 of each odd-numbered year; renew in MOPRO between February 1 and April 30. There is no grace period: renew at least 3 business days before expiry or the license lapses. Missouri issues no license card.¹⁰

Renewal fee

$85² (RN, or MO RN with a MO APRN license)

Late renewal

Late renewal fee: $50² (lapsed license: per year of lapse, plus renewal; no grace period)

If it expires

A lapsed license needs a reinstatement application, extra fees and new fingerprints; practicing while lapsed is prohibited. Lapsed or inactive 3+ years: the board may require a personal appearance, proof of current knowledge, the NCLEX or proof of practice elsewhere.¹⁰
Inactive and retired (single-state, $15 biennial) statuses are available through MOPRO; no nursing practice while inactive.²

Renew online

mopro.mo.gov¹⁰

Moving to Missouri with a license from another state

These are the routes the MO Board of Nursing publishes for the Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license.

Military service members, veterans and spouses: A license that expires during military service may be renewed within 60 days after the service ends without penalty (RSMo 41.950). Under RSMo 324.015, occupational fees are waived on request for two years for military families and low-income individuals.¹¹

Check a license or report a problem

Before you hire a registered nurse in Missouri, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Missouri is on the Missouri license lookup page.

Look up a license

nursys.com¹²

File a complaint

pr.mo.gov⁹

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• RSMo 335.016 (definitions)
• RSMo 335.046
• RSMo 335.051 (license without examination, temporary permit)
• RSMo 335.081 (exempted practices; as amended 2026)
• RSMo 335.360 et seq. (Nurse Licensure Compact)
• 20 CSR 2200-4.010
• 20 CSR 2200-4.020 (Requirements for Licensure)

Rule changes since January 2024

• August 28, 2026: RSMo 335.081 (exempted practices) amended by 2026 H.B. 2372 / S.B. 1233; new version effective August 28, 2026.⁵
• May 30, 2024: 20 CSR 2200-4.010 (fees) and 4.020 (licensure requirements) last amended, effective May 30, 2024.²

Common questions

Registered nurse (RN) licenses in other states

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